Hold Congress Accountable

Knowledge is power. It makes sure people understand what is happening to their country, and how they can make a difference. FreedomWorks University will give you the tools to understand economics, the workings of government, the history of the American legal system, and the most important debates facing our nation today. Enroll in FreedomWorks University today!

Search FreedomWorks

Resources

Blog

Cover Oregon Still Doesn't Cover Anyone

The billboards and ads are eye-catching, and they paint a utopian picture of health care and wellness now available in Oregon at the behest of benevolent big government. Never mind the facts showing recipients of government health care, (Medicaid) have no significantly better health outcomes than those without insurance, they're going to sell you the dream regardless.

Some estimate as much as $28 million will be spent on feel good songs and other advertising to convince people to enroll in "Cover Oregon." Except, so far, you can't enroll in private insurance at all.

The reality is, that one month after the health care exchange was to be rolled out in Oregon, not a single person has signed up through the private marketplace. You read that correctly - not one.

The bureaucrats who believe they always know best have spent over $300 million on a website that doesn't work, to enroll no one for private insurance. Since the website is such an abject failure, the state will need to spend more money hiring 400 people to process paper applications. It's like an episode of Portlandia, except it's real life.

Will these incoming applications be for private insurance? No. So far the only applications sent out are for approximately 260,000 Oregonians who receive public benefits and would be eligible for Medicaid. Where will the state get the funds to expand these benefits?

Last year, State Representative Jim Weidner expressed concerns on the House floor over the the implementation of the "Oregon HealthCare Transformation" project, citing huge budget shortfalls, lack of oversight and the increased demands on an already burdened welfare system.

Tough choices will have to be made soon in these state legislatures. They cannot print money like the federal government can. You'll likely be told once again by technocrats that due to increased demand, there isn't enough money to educate your children, or pay for other essential services like fire and police. When those politicians come to you demanding that you turn over more of your hard earned money to the government, remind them what they spent to advertise a program that doesn't deliver on its promises and on a website that doesn't work.

What Americans were sold is not what they're receiving. Is there no truth in advertising for the government? Apparently not. This is fraud. We should call it as much.

Just like the Baucus bill, the health care “reform” bill which is being pushed by Nancy Pelosi (and which she might or might not have the votes to get through the House) is nothing more than financial smoke and mirrors, a massive tax and spend program which will cost far more than Pelosi or her useful idiots at the CBO want you to believe.

On September 9, 2009 Barack Obama gave a speech on health care before a Joint Session of Congress in which he said that “every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage.” In an email to its members on August 27, 2009 promoting vigils for those who can’t afford health insurance, MoveOn cited the same statistic of 14,000 people losing their coverage every day. From where did this figure come and is it accurate? MoveOn cites a study done by the Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank, in February of 2009 as the source of the statistic.

I know you’ve heard about the battle that’s raging at the federal level over President Obama’s proposed hostile takeover of America’s health care system. As one of the hundreds of thousands of FreedomWorks volunteers that make-up our standing grassroots army, you have no doubt seen and hopefully participated in our “calls to action” against Obama-care that have hit targeted Members of Congress with a flood of emails, phone calls, and even face-to-face visits urging them to oppose this socialized medicine scheme.But as an Arizonan, I wanted to make sure you knew about an important opportunity to beat back not only today’s government-run health care threat, but any future attempts as well.A state constitutional amendment called the “Health Care Freedom Act” has been referred to the ballot in Arizona and, if it passes it will guarantee that residents of the state will be able to keep their current health plan and doctor – a right that government-run health care takes away. It will also prevent big-government proponents from passing an individual mandate that forces people to buy insurance regardless of whether they need it or want it.As an Arizona voter, you can vote for the Health Care Freedom Act in November 2010 and deliver a serious blow to Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and others who want to transform America’s health care system into something resembling what is in Canada or Cuba where the government puts a bureaucrat between you and your doctor.2010 may seem like a long way off, but I assure there’s not a moment to lose in organizing against the forces of the liberal Left who will be working hard to advance the government takeover of health care. That is why I also encourage you to get involved now with the group that’s actively working in Arizona to pass the Health Care Freedom Act, Arizonans for HealthCare Freedom. Their website has up-to-date information on this critical ballot fight and opportunities for you to get involved and help ensure its success. Go to www.azhealthcarefreedomact.com and fight for your health care freedom!

The Senate Republicans Joint Economic Committee recently released these charts comparing different aspects of health care in the US, UK, Canada, and France. The UK, Canada, and France all have health care strongly controlled by the government, similar to what the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress are pushing.The numbers speak for themselves:

[Click here to download over 9,400 comments from our activists on health care reform]Early in the health care debate this year FreedomWorks created a webpage for activists to post their comments to be delivered to Congressmen on health care legislation. So far we have collected over 9,400 comments. In the spreadsheet linked above you will find name, town, state, and comment on health care reform from our activists sorted by state.